The present invention generally relates to a method of making a food product from the wing of a bird as well as the food product produced thereby, and, more particularly to a food product comprising an elongated strip of wing meat surrounding and attached to two generally elongated bones spaced generally parallel to each other.
Birds, such as poultry and fowl, are conventionally eviscerated, dressed, and sold either as a whole bird or as severed parts, i.e., breast, thighs, wings, etc. One of the parts which is sometimes separated and sold is the bird wing, which comprises a middle section, a tip section attached to one end of the middle section and an end section attached to the other end of the middle section. FIG. 1 shows a typical bird wing 102, wherein the tip section 114 and the end section 116 have been separated from the middle section 104. As is conventionally known, bird wings are not as commercially valuable as other parts of birds, such as breasts, thighs, and legs, due to the relatively small amount of meat in the wing, the size and centralized location of the bones and joints, and the high percentage of skin, bone and joints to meat.
In recent years, there has been an increasing demand for innovative meat products, particularly meat products which require less time for preparation and which include little or no waste. There has also been an increasing demand for meat products which are boneless or relatively boneless, making such products easier to consume. Hence, products such as boneless chicken breast, chicken tenders, etc., have enjoyed tremendous commercial success and have obtained enhanced popularity for the respective cuts from which they are prepared.
Until recently, bird wings have not been particularly amenable to such enhanced commercial processing and/or preparation methods for a variety of reasons primarily related to the relatively small amount of meat, the size and centralized location of the bones, etc.
The present invention comprises a method of making a unique food product from the middle section of a bird wing. The food product comprises an elongated strip of wing meat surrounding and attached to two generally elongated bones spaced generally parallel to each other. When the food product is cooked, the meat surrounding and attached to the two bones shrinks inwardly along the bones thereby exposing end portions of the two bones. The exposed end portions represent convenient "handles" which consumers can grasp while eating the cooked food product. Therefore, the food product of the present invention is easy to consume as "finger food" and is particularly well adapted for serving as hors d'oeuvres at parties. The present invention also includes the food product (both cooked and uncooked) which is produced by the present method.